Life They Reward
by Bella7
Summary: “A true champion, eh? Yeah well look where it got me. Playing This Is Your Life with my fellow dead half-demon. No offense.” Cordy gets her reward...R


Disclaimer: Angel is owned by WB and Joss Whedon; It's A Wonderful Life is owned by whoever made it and Thanksgiving (as that's the only time it's ever aired)

Author's Note: This was a whim- R&R

"Life They Reward"

By Bella7

There was a soft rushing sound in her ears; a feeling of warmth and contentment passed over her, as though someone had just covered her with her favorite blanket. Cordelia opened her eyes and was surprised to find where she was. She'd been expecting clouds, heavenly gates, cherubs and harps, all that stuff, but instead, she found herself standing in the lobby of the Hyperion. The very _empty_ lobby of the Hyperion. It looked exactly as it had the last time she'd seen it, minus the apocalyptic destruction of course. No clouds, no gates, not even an angel. Angel. If she was here- where was Angel?

A sound was coming from the office. she followed it, cautiously, around the front desk. The sound, growing louder as she got closer, was definitely coming from the office, Cordy deduced, as she was nearly at the sliding office door. Just as she was about to reach her hand out to open the doors, they slid apart and Cordelia was met with another shock, this one much greater than the first.

"Doyle?" She asked, in disbelief. Sure enough, before her stood her dark haired Irish friend, the same goofy grin on his face, smiling as she covered her mouth with her hands, still in shock.

"Well are ya just gonna stand there gapin' at me or are ya gonna give me a hug dere Princess?" He asked, opening his arms. Without another word, Cordy fell into them, hugging him closely and breathing in that warm soapy scent he had.

"I just- I just can't believe it's really you." She said, once she'd let go, wiping at her eyes. Doyle smiled again,

"It's really me. How've ya been, Cordelia?" He took her arm and led her out of the office space. The smile faded from Cordy's face; she looked around, sadly.

"I'm here, aren't I? That should tell you something." She sat on the circular chair in the middle of the lobby. Doyle sat next to her, watching her closely. "So I guess this is for real this time, huh? No more practice- closing performance kinda thing?"

"Dat'd be my guess, Princess. And quite da performance it was." It was Doyle's turn to look crestfallen. Cordelia, with a sudden flash of memory of Doyle's feelings for her, covered her mouth again,

"You saw-"

"Everyt'ing. Couldn't help it, really."

"Oh, Doyle. I'm so sorry…"

"For what?" Their eyes met. "For fightin'? For keepin' the mission alive? For gettin' Angel back on track? Don't be sorry, Cordelia- please." They were quiet for a minute,

"Are you mad?" Cordy asked quietly, not really sure she wanted to know the answer.

"About you and Angel? Nah- couldn't be. Granted I wouldn't 'a seen it comin' in a million years, but I'm not mad. It's obvious, now, that you two were meant for each other." He smiled sadly, "things are always a little clearer from here."

Cordy nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything. "Doyle?" She asked, looking around. "Where is here? Why are you here? Where am I?"

"Oh, that. I figured you'd ask eventually." He stood and helped her to her feet. "Well, Princess. You're…home." Doyle spread his arms and motioned around the lobby.

"Home? I'm home? As in the Heavenly Home sense of the word?" Cordy asked, not convinced.

"Seems that way. Follow me, there's plenty I've got to explain. And I'm sure you've got some questions of your own." He offered his hand,

"Pfft, yeah, only about a million." She took his hand and walked with him up the carpeted stairs to the second floor hallway. "For example, why is my Heaven a partially condemned hotel?" Doyle grinned,

"You'll see, darlin', you'll see." He stopped at the second door on the right. "I've got to build up, here, so bear with me. But I think," he checked the room number, "yep, this here's our first stop." He pushed open the door to reveal their first office. The only Angel Investigations that Doyle had ever known. In front of them walked a nineteen-year-old Cordelia, clad in a short black skirt, red halter top, and black sandals. Cordy smiled at her former self,

"Look, it's me!" She whispered, unnecessarily. Doyle grinned. "God, look how young I was."

"Beautiful. Young and beautiful." Her companion squeezed her hand. In front of them, Angel walked into the office, carrying files, Cordy's heart leapt to her throat at the sight of him.

_"Cordelia." _His voice sounded like an echo, but with an edge to it. The nineteen year old looked up from filing her nails.

_"Yeah?" _She asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly.__

"I don't…um. I'm confused here." Angel began, studying a file folder. _"Why is Mrs. Benson filed under 'P'?"_

With a confused look, Cordelia came around the desk and looked at the name. _"That's not a 'P' that's an 'F'. Or is it an 'R'?" _Angel rolled his eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe we can be a little less young and carefree with the filing?"

Cordy disregarded this with a wave of her hand_, "It's an 'F'- I remember now."_

"All right…so why is Mrs. Benson filed under 'F'?"

"_Because she's from France. Remember what a pain she was?_" From where she stood in the door, Cordelia smiled, remembering her former self.

"Yeah. She made me want to drink a lot." Angel admitted to his secretary. The younger Cordy nodded,

"_That's the French for ya_."

Doyle reached out and shut the door. "That's enough time there."

"Okay Doyle…you've showed me at my stupidest five year ago- what does that have to do with anything? What am I doing here? And why are you being my tour guide? I'm pretty sure my guide was a big rocky guy named Skip." Cordy asked finally, wondering what on earth was going on. She thought for a moment, "of course, he was technically evil and screwed up my whole life- did he get fired? Can you guys get fired?"

"This is a special case. You're here to find out why you're here, just sit back and relax, Princess. The end justifies the means, I'm almost certain."

"Almost? That always works out well." She grumbled, rolling her eyes before she had to hurry to catch up with Doyle, who was now standing in front of another room. It was with a sinking feeling that Cordy watched him push open the door, guessing what this would reveal. Sure enough, she was greeted with the sight of Doyle and herself, arguing with Angel about the Beacon. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw Doyle throw the punch that knocked Angel over, watched her nineteen year old self kiss him followed by Doyle's morph into demon-mode. Cordelia shut her eyes as he made the leap onto the Beacon, the shining light and then darkness. Without waiting, Cordy reached out and shut the door.

"I'm sorry, Doyle. But I can't watch that again." Doyle nodded and leaned against the door frame.

"But you understand why we had to show it to ya, though, don'tcha?" She nodded,

"Because that's the day I became Vision-Girl."

"Right," Doyle shook his head. "Vision Girl." They smiled. "And with those visions you did wonderful things. Helped t'ousands of people, maybe even millions wit da two apocalypses ya helped prevent. But it came at a price."

"Of course." Cordy's features darkened as they reached and opened another door. This time, it was to Angel's hotel room- where Cordy lay on his bed, unconscious.

"I thought I almost had ya that time. Things were looking pretty grim." The scene flashed to Cordy and Skip in Angel's 'cell.' Her champion was still huddled in a corner, looking dazed after Cordelia had kissed him. Like before, the voices were echoing softly.

_"We've been over this. I respect what you're trying to do. It's noble and heroic and all that other Russell Crowe Gladiator crap."   
"You've seen -" _Cordy interrupted, confused._  
"Didn't love it. The fact remains that humans are not strong enough to harbor the visions. Period. Even the Powers That Be can't change that." _Skip was getting angry, but so was Cordelia. _  
"Then find a loophole, Skip. I know my purpose in this world, and it includes the visions. And if the Powers That Be aren't complete dumb-asses, they know it too." _Skip hesitated_,   
"There may be a tiny loophole."   
****"I'll take it." _She said instantly _  
****"You may want to think about that." The demon's tone softened, "The only way you get to keep the visions is by becoming part demon. The process isn't easy. It will make your vision-pain seem like a stroll through Candyland. And even after the agony subsides, the effects from the transformation will be numerous and unpredictable. You may never be able to lead a human life again." _Cordy took a short breath and shrugged her shoulders,   
**__**"So demonize me already." Skip smiled gently, _  
"It was an honor being your guide, Cordelia Chase."_

Doyle shut the door as Skip placed a large rocky hand on Cordy's forehead. They looked at one another,

"Day my life changed forever." Cordy commented, unsure of how she really felt about her demon-side.

"I don't think I've ever been prouder of ya, Princess, than that day." Doyle smiled, "it was pure champion- that's what that was."

"Yeah well look where it got me." Cordy looked around the vacant hallway. "Playing _This Is Your Life_ with my fellow dead half-demon. No offense." She added, quickly, with a small smile. Doyle returned it and she followed him to the elevator. She was surprised as he pushed the button for 10. "But Doyle," she protested, "this hotel doesn't have ten floors. At least, I don't think." The Irishman looked at her skeptically. "Of course, I'm saying that like things have been normal around here."

"Well I suppose you've waited long enough."

"I'd say so."

"I've been showin' you all of these thing so that you could understand your reward." The bell dinged; they'd reached the tenth floor. Cordy bit back a smile and stepped out of the elevator with her guide.

"My reward?" She asked, hopefully. Doyle smiled,

"Yes, love, your reward. You don't think we let Champions go unnoticed, do ya?"

"You tell me, Doyle. You're the expert here. I'm just a lowly champion who is insanely curious about this reward of which you speak."

"Cordelia, you've had a rough life these last few years. L.A. hasn't really been very kind to you- not in the way you'd hoped when you came here, at least- am I right?" Doyle's Irish lilt sounded as though he was reading her a story. "Not many people thought you would make it. I was one of 'em, to be honest. When I first met ya, of course." Cordy smiled. "But you proved us all wrong. You're a Champion, through and through." Doyle stopped in front of a door, which curiously read 217. Although, that would make very little sense as they were on the tenth floor. "What we're trying to say, Cordy, is that we're proud of you. Very, very proud." Cordy felt her eyes welling up as Doyle placed his hand on the doorknob and turned, pushing it open. The sight that greeted the young Seer took her breath away.

She was looking at a hospital room. Inside she saw her friends- her family, standing and sitting around a bed. Gunn was leaning against the window, smiling; Fred, sitting at the bottom of the bed, grinning like an idiot, and Wesley was sitting on the edge, next to the patient, whom Cordelia was shocked to find was her. She was sitting up in bed, looking tired and sweaty and blissfully happy. Cordy's heart caught in her throat again. In her arms was a pink bundle, and a dark tuft of hair peaking out from the top. She turned back to Doyle,

"What is this?"

"It's your reward, Princess. You get to live out the life you wanted."

"But- how?" Doyle smiled,

"Heaven-whether it's the Hyperion Hotel or the big pearly gates- is nothing more than your deepest and truest desires brought to life." Cordy turned back to the hospital scene, unable to take her eyes off the bundle in her arms. Suddenly, Angel came through the door carrying a blonde toddler on his hip. Her heart stopped again.

"That can't be-"

"Hey, Conner. Come meet your new baby sister." Fred smiled at Angel and his son.

"How is this possible?" Cordelia turned again to face her friend. "Conner is…well, gone. We never got to have him as anything other than a baby." Doyle shook his head,

"You are dense sometimes, Chase. This is where you get off. You get to go live this life now- it's your reward. You get to live the life you always wanted with Angel and Conner. Isn't that what you want?"

"Well…yeah. I mean- yeah. It's so what I want."

"Then what's the problem?" Cordy bit her lip,

"You're not here. I want you to be here too." Doyle opened his arms and took her in them.

"Nothin's perfect, Princess. Surely you know that. But hey," he held her at arm's length, "I'll never be more than a few doors away." He pointed to the end of the hallway. Doyle turned her back toward her reward. "Go on, they're waiting for you."

"But-" Cordy stopped and turned back. "What about _your_ heaven?"

"I told ya- this is _your _reward. I can't change anything about it."

"But…am I in yours?" Doyle smiled shyly,

"I can't tell ya that, Princess. It's against the rules." Cordelia looked back and forth from the room, where a three-year old Conner was being introduced to his new sister, to Doyle. "Go on, darlin'. Ya best get going, they're expecting you." He gave her a little push.

"Bye, Doyle."

"Bye, Cordy." She smiled and gave a little wave as Doyle made his way back, disappearing into a room at the end of the hall. Cordy watched him until the door shut behind him and then turned to the scene before her. Her heart ached to join it as she watched Angel kiss the top of her head and then peer over at the baby. That was her baby- she knew, somehow. Memories that were truly not hers began filtering into her mind, as if she was having painless, beautiful visions. Angel being granted his humanity; their wedding in the summer; Connor's first steps…it was all there, like this had been her reality, and her real life had only been a bad dream.

When the memories stopped coming, Cordelia took a deep breath. In the back of her mind, she knew that all she'd have to do to fully live her new life would be to step inside of it. In a quick instant, she looked around the hallway, saying goodbye to vision pain, tears, death, destruction, and all the nightmares her old life had supplied her with. It was time she got her reward.

Cordelia Chase closed her eyes and stepped inside.

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A/N: I realize this is a bit late, seeing as the series finale was just on Wednesday and Cordy's been dead for about 3 months now, but I found this on my desktop a few days ago, had my favorite person in the world read over it (and although she doesn't watch Angel, she found in satisfactory) and decided to post it. Cordelia will always be my favorite character, no matter what. I've now completed my trilogy about her in 3 different parts of her life, so I think that's it. Unless anyone likes this and thinks I should continue as an actual story, then I'll think about it.

Closing statement: Angel was an awesome show full of rich characters and deep symbolism and all that other wonderful stuff that makes tv shows legends. I'll never forget any of the great things that came from it, I wish everyone the best. Much love to all

- Bella7


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